Metal wheel



May ZU 1924.

C. SCHENCK ET AL METAL WHEEL Original Filed June 1'7 UNITE srs orifice.

CHARLES SCHENC AND C-YRUS W. BASSETT, 0F BETHLEHEM, PENNSYLVANIA, .AS-

SIGNORS T0 BETHLE'HEM STEEL COMIIPANY,4 OF l1BETHl'illlIlEll/ll, PENNSYLVANIA, A

CORPORATON 0F PENNSYLVANIA.' l

METAL WHEEL.

Application Med June 17, 1926, Serial No. $789,756. .Renewed October 22, 1923.

To all. whom t may col/wem:

Be it known that we, CHARLES SCHENGK and CYRUs W. BAssn'rr, citi'zens of the United `States, residing at Bethlehem,

E6 Northampton (Jounty, Pennsylvania, have jointly invented new vand useful Improvements in Metal 'Vlheela of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Fig. l is a section of a metal Wheel embodying our invention; Fig. 2 is a 'partial elevation thereof; and Figs. 3, 4, 5. 6 and 7 vare-sections of modified forms of spacers.

Our invention relates to hubs for metal 'wheels, in which the spokes are preferably formed from a continuous web of metal, as,

for instance, the Web of a bar beam or sheet, and are bent alternately to form two sets of spokes, and comprises means for attach ing the hubs and spokes together.. In hubs made in accordance with our invention, the thrust ofthe hub is transmitted directly to the spoke ends which are held in spaced relation vby a separa-tor and against the separatorby the hub plates, and the spokes are interlocked together in such manner that the stresses imposed on one spoke are transmitted to adjacent spokes and the strain is thereby distributed. Our invention also consists in the arrangement and construction of ts which we shall hereinafter describe 1 an lelaim Referring Ato the shown a wheel preferably made from a metal beam or bar, in which the rim 2 an-l spokes 3 3 are formed, respectively, from the flanges and web of a beam or bar and with the web portions bent alternately to form two sets of staggered spokes, and so arranged that the yweb or spoke Portions are preferably in side' contact on their edges 4 in the area of the hub, and comprise two sets of spokes 3 and 3.

The hub comprises the main or interior hub member 5, which has an exterior annular flange 6 and a supplementary or exte- `rior hub member 7 in parallel spaced relation to the flange 6, and which has an annular projection 8 engaging the eriphery of `the interior hub member 7. ne set 3 of 'fspokes bearsagainst the inner face of the. 'flange 6 and the otherset 3 against the :inner face of the exterior hub member 8.' Between the sets of spokes is placed a sepdrawings. we havel arator or spacer 9 preferably in the form of a Hat annulus, which has T-shaped eX- ternal and internal flanges 10 and 11, and on eachl side raised bosses 12,' each of which is connected to the flanges 10 and 11 by radial reinforcing ribs 13, the ianges l0 and 11 and bosses 12 being of the same width and affording bearings forthe inner faces of the sets 3 3 of spokes.

The hub members 5 and 7 are secured to the spokes by the bolts 14, and each spoke is valso secured to two spokes in the opposite set by the Vbolts 14, which in each instance preferably pass through thefbody of t-he spoke and through an aligned boss 12 on the spacer 9.

In Fig. 3 We have shown a mo'diedform of spoke spacer or separator, also in the form of a flat annulus but in which Vonly one T-shaped annular flange 10 is employed, the internal flange 11 of Fig. 1 being omitted. In the modified form of Figs. 4 and 5 the spacers are of U and box-sections, respectively, in which the spoke ends arelintended to bear directly against the sides. In these forms the bolt Sleeves 15 may be cast within the body of the spacer. l

In Fig. 6 We have shown a further modiication of the spacer, consisting of a double channel section with the Webs arranged face to face and preferably spot Welded together to form a composite Web. Short lengths of 'A pipe or tubing 16 extending through the compositel web and outwardly for the Width of the spacci' may be employed as bolt sleeves and to act as additional reinforcements to the flanges. The variousl forms of spoke spacing members may be made either from pressed steel plates or shapes or may be cast.

In Fig. 7 We have shown a further modification of the spacer made from two identically shaped pressed metal pieces of inverted U-shape in cross-section in which the bolt sleeves 18 'are made by inwardly punched parts and the ends of the pieces overlap to form the ends of the spacer. The pieces are united by welding together their meeting faces in the axial plane of 'the wheel is not only supported by the spokes in the same set on either side, but it is also bolted to two spokes of the opposite set, vthereby causing en interlocking of spokes, and an automatic distribution of the strain imposed on any one spoke. This spoke interlock serves to prevent distortion of the wheel or hub from driving or' braking strains. l y

The terms and expressions which we have employed are used as terms of description an not of limitation, and we beve no intention, in the use of such terms and expressions, of excludingl any mechanical equivalents of the features shown and described or portions thereof, but recognize that various structurel modifications are possible within the scopef the `invention claimed. 1

What we claim is:

1. In a metal Wheel, e hub, spokes er-l ranged alternately to form two sets in the area of the hub, a .spoke spacing member I bearin on the hub barrel between the sets y 2. In a metal wheel, e hub, spokes er- @essere ranged alternately to form two sets in the eren of the hub, a spoke spacing member beerin on the hub barrel between the sets of spo es and equipped with raised bosses to form' bearing points for the spokes, connecting webs between said bosses lto permit adjacent bosses to support each other, seid bosses being apertured for the reception of bolts for securing the hub, spokes and spacer together.

3. In metal wheels having spokes arranged alternately to form two sets in th area of the hub, a spoke spacing member bearing on the hub barrel" between the sets of spokes, the spacing member comprising a Hat annulus having reinforcing bosses on either side to form sleeves for connecting bolts and bearings for the inner faces of the spokes. j

4. In metal wheels having spokes 'arranged alternately to form two sets in the areeJ of the hub, a spoke spacing member bearin on the llub barrel between the sets of spo res, the spacing member comprising a flat ennulus having reinforcing bosses on either side to form sleeves for connecting bolts and bearings for the innerfaces of the spokes, and having also a T-sheped peripheral flange of the seme width as the bosses.

CHARLES SCHENCK. CYRUS W. BASSETT. 

